Wonderful Tunes Provided By Friends. Wild Tangents Provided By Me.

Posts tagged ‘Blossom Dearie’

I think this song might be winner of most posted video! Good thing it’s awesome.

“Rhode Island Is Famous For You” was written in 1948 by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz. Blossom Dearie sang it in 1960 on her album “Blossom Dearie Sings Broadway Hit Songs.” I wonder if the School House Rock people were thinking of this song when they hired her.

Rhode Island is actually famous for being home of the world headquarters for Hasbro Toys and Games. Hasbro markets Transformers and so they are indirectly responsible for the career of director and hated Sith Lord Michael Bay. I certainly can’t end the post on that unpleasant note, so here’s a fun and educational Blossom Dearie blast from my past!

The song was written by Arthur Deitz and Howard Schwartz for the 1948 musical “Inside USA.” The version I’m most familiar with is by Blossom Dearie. Several websites I visited actually credited Dearie with writing the song. She did arrange it for her unique singing style but she didn’t write it. Here’s a version with lyrics provided. It is quite funny.

This may come as a shock to anyone who regularly reads these posts, but I honestly don’t immediately think of how every single song on this thread relates to me. For example, with this song the first train of thought I took had to do with changing world economics. Since money and politics don’t tend to make for light hearted jazz posts, I figured I’d save that conversation for my liberal commie friends.

Next I started to wonder who Rhode Island might actually be famous for. It turns out that George Cohan and Nelson Eddy were both born there. That’s pretty much where this thought train derailed. Neat trivia though I thought.

I finally got back to familiar “all about me” territory when I went off on a tangent about what states weren’t featured in the song. I noticed that neither my friend’s home state New York (famous for giant green ladies) nor my home state Illinois (famous for “ill and noise”) rated a mention. Ah well, even though the song didn’t give my birthplace any love, at least I know Frank’s jazz thread is famous for me. I shall go now and sit in my narcissistic, mirror filled corner of shame.